Southern States Attack Obesity Epidemic
A Social Movement Has Begun

(Austin, TX)- Southern states gathered in Austin, Texas, October 4-6th for the third annual Southern Obesity Summit to develop and share strategies to prevent childhood obesity and welcomed Dr. Howell Wechsler of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, Medical Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas as keynote presenters.

Dr. Wechsler, Director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health released brand new data on findings from a research study on availability of unhealthy foods in American high schools.  It demonstrated that states with strong school nutrition standards and policies for foods and beverages sold outside school meal programs have been able to reduce unhealthy foods drastically on their high school campuses.  Two southern states, Mississippi and Tennessee made the most improvements among the 34 states who participated in the survey.

Additional Summit luminaries included Dr. James Rohack, President of the American Medical Association, Dr. Joe Thompson, Executive Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity, and Tyler Norris, Co-founder of Community Initiatives and Senior Advisor to Kaiser Permanente, and many others.

The shining stars of the Summit were representatives from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia that have formed State Teams committed to stop this epidemic of obesity in the South.  The energetic teams were composed of state officials, public health professionals, healthcare providers, community organizations and individuals concerned with the growing obesity epidemic.

Energies were high and ideas abundant; however, the sweet spot of the Summit existed in the action oriented attitudes of the attendees.  States are focused on developing new strategies to affect policy and environmental changes that will lead to better nutrition and additional physical activity.  Programs highlighting community-led health initiatives, school-based efforts and organizations promoting advocacy and personal responsibility were shared as State Teams told their stories during the Summit.  Dr. Rodney Lyn, of Georgia State University’s Institute of Public Health offered an invitation to all as he announced Atlanta, Georgia as the site for the 2010 Southern Obesity Summit.

“The numbers paint a grim picture of millions of Americans, especially for those in the South, who are living unhealthy lifestyles and contributing to a new generation of obese children,” said Camille D. Miller, President and CEO of Texas Health Institute.  The Austin-based think-tank is co-sponsor of the Southern Obesity Summit with partial funding provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield, St. David’s Community Health Foundation, HEB, Novo Nordisk, Altarum, National Policy and Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity, along with a number of others.  Local hosts for the Summit included University of Texas Health Science Center – School of Public Health and Texas A&M Health Science Center – School of Rural Public Health. 

We thank all attendees for participating in the Southern Obesity Summit 2009 – You were a very important part of its success.

Additional information and presentations of the 2009 event can be found at www.southernobesitysummit.org.